Water-level-testing device for boilers.



No. 705,421. Pa tented July 22, I902.

, H. MOORE.

WATER LEVEL TESTING DEVICE FOR BOILERS.

- (Application filed Dec. 9, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented July 22, I902.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. MOORE.

WATER LEVEL TESTING DEVICE FOR BOILERS.

(Application filed Dec. 9, 1901.

No. 705,42l.

(No Model.)

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HERMAN MOORE, OF MOUNDSVILLE, VEST VIRGINIA.

WATER-LEVEL-TESTENG DEVlCE FOR BOILERS.

EPEGIFIQATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,4t21, dated July22, 1902.

Application filed December 9, 1901. Serial No. 85,263. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN MOORE, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Moundsville, in the county of Marshall and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNater-Level-'lesting Devices for Boilers; and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to means whereby the height of the water within asteam-boiler may be ascertained by the engineer at a point remote fromthe boiler.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and effeetiveelectricalmeans for carrying out the prime purpose of the invention in anefficient and practical manner.

The device embodies a water-gage having contacts connected thereto, oneof said contacts being provided with a float to rise with the water andbreak the circuit, and circuit connections including a bell and an openswitch, which may be arranged in the engineers office at a point more orless remote from the boiler, so thatthe engineer by closing said switchmay determine whether or not the water is at the height for which thedevice is set, the closing of the switch having no effect upon the hellif the water is at the proper height, but causing the sounding of thebell if the water is below said height, as the circuit will be completedby the engagement of the contact upon the falling therebelow of thecolumn of water.

In the present instance I have shown the use of three of such devicesmounted so as to enable the engineer to determine by test whether thewater is at the normal point or above or below the normal point.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin certain novel features of construction and combination andarrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, definedin the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a sectional view of the watergage and a diagram of thealarm and circuit connections of the invention. Fig. 2 is a de tail viewof the contacts on an enlarged scale, the gage-tube appearing invertical section. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the nu meral. 1represents a watergage comprising the conducting-pipes and S and theglass gage-tube 4t and having also an auxiliary gage-tube 5, extendingparallel. with said tube l. The purpose of the tube-l is to subserve theordinary function of a gage to enable the fireman or others in closeproximity to the boiler to ascertain the height of the water therein.The tube 5 is preferably made of metal and serves as a container for anadditional column of water, which by rising and falling in said tubecauses the operation of the bell-circuit connections, whereby theengineer in his office, at a point more or less remote from the boiler,may ascertain the level of the water in said boiler.

Connected to the tube 5 are three sets of loeal-circuit-closing devices,(denoted, respectively, (5, 7, and 8,) the first, 6, being arranged atthe normal-level point, the second, '7, at the high-water point, and thethird, 8, at the low-water-level point. Each of these devices comprisesconducting-plugs 9 and 10, extending through the wall of the tube andsuitably fixed thereto, said plugs being suitably apertured at theirouter ends for the passage of the circuit-wires 11 and 12, which areconnected thereto by binding-screws 13. The plugs 9, as shown, areillustrated from the wall of the tube.

The plug 0 is provided at itsinnerend with a contact-piece 14, which isin the form of a hook adapted to act as a guide for'a coactingcontact-piece 15, carried by the superposed plug 10. The contact-piece15 is in the form of a rod or stem pivoted at one end, as indicated at16, to said plug 9 and having its free end arranged to move in the arcof a circle, in which the contact-pieoe 1a of-the plug 9 lies. The stem15 carries a float 17, which is adapted to rise and fall with the watercontained within the tube 5 and to thereby move the said stem orcontact-piece 15 into and out of engagement with the contact-piece 14.As the stem 15 descends by the lowering of the water within the tube andcomes into engagement with the upper portion of the contactpiece 14 thelatter guides the stem in its down ward movement, thus effecting aperfect engagement between said contacts and preventing the stem frommoving out of its proper path of travel.

Each of the local-circuit-closing devices above described is arranged inan electrical circuit, including the wires 11 and 12, a battery 18, abell 1.9, and a switch 20. The battery may be arranged at any suitablepoint, while the bell and switch are located in or adjacent to theoiiice of the engineer, which may be at any desired distance from theboiler. The switch 20 normally remains open and is adapted to be closedby the engineer to enable him to determine whether thelocal-circuit-closing devices attached to the tube and cooperatingtherewith are in contact, which will be determined by the sounding ofthe bell, thus indicating that the water in the boiler is at a certainlevel.

In the operation of the apparatus as the water rises and falls withinthe tube 5 the floats 17 rise and fall therewith, thus bringing the twocontacts of each local-circuit-closing device out of or into engagement.hen the water is at the normal point, the contactpieces 15 of the twolocal-circuit-closing devices 6 and 8 will be held out of contact withthe contact-pieces 14 thereof, while the con tact-piece 15 of thelocal-circuit-closing device 7 will be in engagement with itscooperating contact-piece 14:. When the parts are thus arranged and theswitches 20 in the circuits of the devices 6 and 8 are closed, the bellsconnected therewith will not sound, because the circuits will be broken,as the con tacl-points 15 will be held out of engagement with thecontact-points 14 by the action of the water on the floats 17; but whenthe switch 20, in circuit with the local-circuitclosing devices 7, isclosed the bell will sound, as the two contacts 14- and 15 will be inengagement, thus indicating to the engineer that the water is below thehigh-water level and at the normal level. When the water falls below thenormal level, the bells connected with the two circuit-closing devices 6and 7 will sound upon the closing of the cooperating switches 20; butthe bell connected with the circuit-closing device 8 will not sound ifthe water is not below the low-water point, for the reason that thefloat will maintain the contact 15 out of engagement with the contact14. When the water falls below the low-water level, all the bells willsound upon the closing of the switches 20, thus indicating to theengineer that the water-level in the boiler is below the low-waterpoint.

From the foregoing description,taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,

it is thought that the construction, mode of operation, and advantagesof my improved water-level-testing device for boilers will be readilyapparent without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with agage-tube; of localcircuit-closing connections attached thereto andcomprising plugs having binding-posts for the attachment of thecircuit-wires, one of said plugs being provided with a contactpieceforming a guide and the other with a pivoted contact-piece carrying afloat, an electric circuit including the conducting-wires connected withsaid plugs, a bell in said circuit, and a normally open switch also insaid circuit, substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a maingage-tube, an auxiliary gage-tube, connections between said tubes,local-circuit-closing devices mounted upon the auxiliary tube and havingcontacts thrown into and out of engagement by the rise and fallof thewater in said tube, an electric circuit in which the saidlocal-circuitclosing devices are included, a bell also included in saidcircuit, and a switch which is normally open and which is adapted to beclosed to indicate by the sounding or nonsounding of the bell theposition of the said local-circuit-closing devices and the level of thewater within said tube, substantially as described.

3. In a water-level-testing appliance for steam-boilers, the combinationwith a gagetube; of local-circuit-closing connections attached theretoand comprising plugs, one of said plugs having a contact-piece carryinga float and movable toward and from the other plug, an electric circuitin which the said 10- cal-circuit-closing devices are included, a bellin said circuit, and a switch also in said circuit and adapted to beclosed to indicate by the sounding or non-sounding of the bell theposition of the local-circuit-contact connections and the level of thewater in the tube, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HERMAN MOORE.

IVitnesses:

J. R. UNDERDONK, J. B. SHANNON.

